World Teleport Association Appoints Industry Leaders to Board of Directors

(New York City, February 5, 2013) – The World Teleport Association announced the appointment of four new members to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Filling vacant seats on the Board are Roger Franklin, President & CEO, Crystal Solutions; Richard Hadsall, CTO, MTN Government Services; Scott Sprague, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Broadcast Satellite; and James Trevelyan, Sales Director, Arqiva Broadcast & Media.

"We are very excited to have Roger, Richard, Scott, and James join the WTA’s Board of Directors,” said M. Brett Belinsky, Chairman of WTA and Managing Director at Encompass Digital Media (EMEA). "These four experienced and accomplished industry leaders bring us expertise and experience that will help WTA deliver on its mission of advocating for teleport operators and promoting excellence in their operations, business and technology.”

Roger Franklin, President & CEO of Crystal Solutions (www.CrystalCC.com), began working for Crystal Solutions in 1993 as a Software Engineer. His ability to design and develop automation software to improve productivity helped him move up the ranks at Crystal Solutions, becoming the Manager of Research and Development, and eventually President and CEO of the company in February, 2007. Roger is globally recognized as an expert and advocate on satellite interference issues.

Richard Hadsall, CTO of MTN Government Services, a subsidiary of MTN Satellite Communications, began his career in 1976 when he founded Crescomm, a telecommunications product manufacturer and satellite common carrier. From there he went on to co-found MTN Satellite Communications, and develop its teleport facility in Holmdel, NJ as a video and data communications center. His accomplishments include being the first to broadcast live from a submarine submerged 50 feet below the Atlantic Ocean, and creating and deploying the "Bloom-mobile” for NBC, allowing anchor David Bloom to report live from Iraq and Kuwait. Hadsall won the 2011 Emmy Award for Technology & Engineering for his work with NBC and the Bloom-mobile.

Scott Sprague joined the executive team of Asia Broadcast Satellite in January 2012 as the Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for managing the global sales, marketing, and operations of value added services for the company. Scott’s experience includes serving as Senior Vice President of Global Sales for SES, Vice President of Enterprise Sales for KPNQwest, Vice President of Channel Management for Infonet Service Corporation and General Manager for AT&T.

James Trevelyan, Sales Director at Arqiva, began his career in the industry in 2001, when he joined Kingston Communications Plc’s satellite division, Kingston Inmedia. When Arqiva purchased Inmedia in 2005, he became head of enterprise sales, Enterprise for Arqiva. He held that position until August of 2011, when he became the Sales Director at Arqiva. His experience prior to 2001 includes sales and marketing positions with Lexmark International, IBM, and Nortel Networks.

About World Teleport AssociationSince 1985, the World Teleport Association has focused on improving the business of satellite communications from the ground up. At the core of its membership are the world's most innovative operators of teleports, from independents to multinationals, niche service providers to global carriers. WTA is dedicated to advocating for the interests of teleport operators in the global telecommunications market and promoting excellence in teleport business practice, technology and operations.